Soccer: Rules and Techniques

Rules and Techniques There are hundreds of sports in the world today. However, only one has become truly an international sport that spans across all of our populated continents (Chyzowych 17). This tremendously captivating sport is soccer, or more commonly called football. Because soccer is such a widely played sport there are many rules and strategies that can be used to perfect ones game. Rules have always played a vital part in soccer; however, in the early stages of soccer it wasn’t necessary for a referee at a game. Instead the two teams played as “gentlemen” and if there ever was a quarrel the team captains would settle it. As time went on things got more competitive and it was necessary to have referees at the games (www.innotts.co.uk/~soccerstats/hist1.htm). Most everyone knows that when playing soccer you can not use your hands or arms, however that is not the only rule. There is the “off-sides” rule, which says that a player is "off his side" if he is standing in front of the ball, that is, between the ball and the opponent 's goal. There are also corner kicks, which occur when a member of the defending team kicks the ball out across the goal line. The goal kick is similar, it occurs when the advancing team kicks the ball across the goal line, however if the goalie stops a ball then it is a punt (http://home.istar.ca/~titan/soccer.htm). Technique is another very important element to the game. Some techniques that can be worked on are juggling, dribbling, and passing. There are many different exercises that can be done to perfect these techniques. To perfect juggling a pair can be used or it can be done individually, this will help good ball control from the air to the ground. Dribbling can be done well with simply using cones or some sort of maze to travel through with the ball. When dribbling is perfected one can pass through the defenders with better ease. Finally there is passing, it is so important to be able to control the ball

Cited: Internet Site. “A SHORT HISTORY OF SOCCER” http://www.innotts.co.uk/~soccerstats/hist1.htm Internet Site. “Fair or Foul: The Complete Soccer Guide for Fans & Players” http://home.istar.ca/~titan/soccer.htm Chyzowych, Walter. The Official Soccer Book of the United States Soccer Federation. Chicago, 1981: Rand McNally & Company